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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2017 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/ddo-trumpets-the-start-of-its-winter-games/https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/ddo-trumpets-the-start-of-its-winter-games/https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/ddo-trumpets-the-start-of-its-winter-games/#comments

Just because we're in the heart of winter in the northern hemisphere doesn't mean that we can't enjoy snow-themed festivities! That's the attitude of Dungeons and Dragons Online, which has started a slew of activities under its Winter Games umbrella.

For starters, there's the Midwinter Festival in the Forgotten Realms which includes speed skating, snowflake collecting, and vole smashing. Meanwhile in Eberron, the ever-popular Risia Ice Games are back with more ice sliding action. Then there's an ice skating rink in the harbor, an ice jump off a cliff, and a frozen half-pipe in the Bogwater Tavern. Participation in all of these activities will not only result in embarassing fun, but rewards from the various tokens won.

This module will be a significant one when it comes early this year. Elemental Evil will add a new class to the game, the Paladin, and increase the level cap from 60 to 70. The increased level cap means more skills and quests for all eight classes.

Cryptic also announced that future updates in 2015 for Neverwinter will include the player guild housing Strongholds system, the Xbox One launch, and the arrival of popular D&D characters.

Executive producer Robert "Severlin" Ciccolini does the honors, and he mentions the game's "next big update" which will include a large dungeon called the Temple of Elemental Evil. There's also a bit about an upcoming new class, which Ciccolini says could be a Warlock. New storylines and new festivals are coming in 2015, too, as is a level cap bump to 30.

Tomorrow, Dungeons and Dragons Online will be getting its last big patch of the year, Update 24: Heart of Madness. Considering the cheery title, one might expect scarring challenges and experiences that will drive your average player insane (including using yourself as a puzzle piece to get through a fiendish game).

The crux of the patch centers around an invasion from the plane of madness to Eberron, with popular D&D figures like the Lord of Eyes, the Lord of Stone, and Yalthoon the Mindflayer. Players will tackle a trio of high-level madness-themed dungeons in this paid adventure pack, although there will also be a fourth free dungeon that's part of the ongoing Wizards of the Coast Tyranny of Dragons event.

Update 24 will also come with cosmetic armor effects, smarter AI monster champions, and a revamp of Barbarian enhancements.

Happy Black Friday, everyone! We've been keeping an eye on MMO-related sales and promotional events just for you. Here are a few of the bigguns that might be worth taking advantage of today and through the weekend:

Guild Wars 2's digital versions are 50% off through the official website until December 7th.

World of Warcraft -- well, the bundle with everything but Warlords of Draenor -- is 75% off through December 2nd.

WildStar is on sale for 50% off, so $19.99, for a "limited time" on the official site and at other retailers.

ArcheAge has a bunch of marketplace items on sale, along with two new mounts.

The rocky situation for Warner Bros. is far from over. Game Informer is reporting that the conglomerate is planning more layoffs through "most business groups" starting this week and going through early 2015. Variety says that up to 1,000 employees from TV, film, and other divisions will be let go from the cuts.

[Update: Warner Bros. has confirmed unspecified layoffs by issuing the following statement to Massively: "As part of our normal business process, we're routinely looking at the strategic alignment of our company. Unfortunately, in order for us to invest in growth areas at Turbine, we have to eliminate some positions. These are always tough decisions, which we don't approach lightly, but it's crucial that Turbine is structured in a way that reflects the current and coming marketplace."]

Update 23 may not be the largest DDO patch to date, but it does contain several significant improvements. The biggest of these is a large buff to melee characters to balance that playstyle with those of other roles. Melee characters have new stats to help them with their efforts, including melee power, ranged power, and magical resist rating.

Turbine has also unlocked the epic version of the Orchard of the Macabre instances, added in a new raid, included guild storage, and offered players the ability to create cosmetic variants of armor pieces with the new Mirror of Glamering.

I love me a good forest in an MMO: One that's not too dense, not too annoying to navigate, and not too full of shrieking spiders jumping on me from above. Give me a quiet, gorgeous, lush grove to wander through and I could easily lose myself in the game.

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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culturedaily-grindddodungeons-and-dragons-onlinefavoriteforestlord-of-the-rings-onlinelotromiscellaneousopiniontdgthe daily grindthe-daily-grindworld-of-warcraftWed, 10 Sep 2014 08:00:00 -0400319|20959062https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/09/hear-snippets-of-chance-thomas-dota-2-score/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/09/hear-snippets-of-chance-thomas-dota-2-score/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/09/hear-snippets-of-chance-thomas-dota-2-score/#comments

Composer Chance Thomas has revealed his latest project: creating a Compendium score for Dota 2. In a new behind-the-scenes video, you can see Thomas conducting a choir and orchestra as they perform snippets of various tracks for the popular MOBA.

First impressions matter. First impressions count. First impressions are lasting. These commonly cited maxims are true, but I would like to add one more: "First impressions can be deceiving." Due to our nature of making snap judgments, experiencing something at the wrong time or being impatient, we can rush to a conclusion that could rob us of something we could truly love.

There are few things that frustrate me more than seeing MMO gamers adopt the gospel of the first impressions and refuse to ever return to a game afterward. We keep treating MMOs as disposable, one-shot entertainment that must be plundered quickly right out of the gate instead of seeing them as reusable fun that gets better with time.

So the next time you feel bored waiting for the next MMO to launch so that you can make a two-month first impression and then leave forever, why not give an older title a second try? In this week's countdown, I'm going to make a case for 10 MMOs that deserve another chance even if you wrote them off long ago.
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dc universe onlinedc-universe-onlinedcuoddodungeons and dragons onlinedungeons-and-dragons-onlineeq-2eq-iieq2eqiieverquest iieverquest-2everquest-iif2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playhumormarvel heroesmarvel-heroesmiscellaneousneverwinterold-school-runescapeopinionp10perfect tenperfect-10perfect-tenriftrounduprunescaperunescape-3soesonysony-online-entertainmentstar trek onlinestar wars: the old republicstar-trek-onlinestar-wars-the-old-republicstoswtorthe secret worldthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenthe-secret-worldtop-10top-10-listtop-tentop-ten-listtswSat, 06 Sep 2014 15:00:00 -0400319|20940699https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/ddos-update-23-to-buff-melee-characters-and-add-guild-storage/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/ddos-update-23-to-buff-melee-characters-and-add-guild-storage/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/09/05/ddos-update-23-to-buff-melee-characters-and-add-guild-storage/#comments

"Update 23 brings a series of changes aimed at improving the ability of melee-focused characters to face some of DDO's toughest challenges, and bring increased balance between melee, ranged, and spell-casting characters," the team posted.

Also slated for Update 23 are epic versions of the Orchard of the Macabre, guild storage on airships, a special mirror that allows the user to make a cosmetic variant of an armor piece, and a new feat called Epic Power that gives +3 melee power to characters level 21 and up.

One facet of video games that's been around almost since the very beginning is the difficulty level. This has allowed the player to choose how hard or easy a game would be from the onset, influencing factors such as the number of enemies, hardiness of bad guys, fragility of the player character, and available loot (or lack of it). I used to love how some of those '90s shareware titles would mock me for picking easy, sometimes portraying my character wearing a baby bonnet and sucking its thumb. Real gamers, the devs implied, go tough or go home.

With a few exceptions, MMOs operate on a fixed level of difficulty for all of their players. Instead of assigning blanket difficulty client-side, the game world portions difficulty into areas, usually according to level or activity. Some games have instances with adjustable difficulty levels, but past that what you get is also what I get.

This might be changing. A very fringe but dedicated group of players have championed such ideas as elective ironman and permadeath modes for their MMOs, and at least one studio is responding positively to that desire. Would you choose to make your MMO experience harder than everyone else in exchange for nothing more than a bigger challenge and a more "realistic" experience?
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asheron's callasherons-callclassicclassic-mmosclassicsddodofusdungeons and dragons onlinedungeons-and-dragons-onlineeqeverquestfeaturedgame-archaelogisth1z1hellgate-londonironmanironman-challengeironman-modekingdom-of-loathingmiddle-earth-onlinemiscellaneousmmo industrynostalgiaopinionpermadeathpermadeath-moderunescapesalemstar citizenstar wars galaxiesstar-citizenstar-wars-galaxiesswgthe game archaeologistthe-game-archaeologisttrials-of-ascensionwizardry onlinewizardry-onlineSat, 30 Aug 2014 16:00:00 -0400319|20945285https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/16/the-daily-grind-do-you-want-adjustable-difficulty-levels-in-mmo/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/16/the-daily-grind-do-you-want-adjustable-difficulty-levels-in-mmo/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/16/the-daily-grind-do-you-want-adjustable-difficulty-levels-in-mmo/#comments

There were a few of us sitting around the other day moaning about how a certain MMO (that will not be named because we're afraid of it just like Voldemort) was too difficult for a casual player who wanted to see the content without concern for rewards. That got us on the topic of adjustable difficulty levels, something that's quite common in most video games but not so much in MMOs.

That doesn't mean difficulty levels are absent from the online gaming space. Dungeons and Dragons Online, for example, has expanded its difficulty options for instances that allow players to set it at anything from solo all the way up to tough-as-nails elite. RIFT also implemented chronicles to allow raid-shy players a way to see these fantastic setpieces and get the story without having to join that niche community.

Do you want to see more adjustable difficulty levels in MMOs? What would that look like?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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culturedaily-grindddodifficulty-leveldifficulty-levelsdungeons-and-dragons-onlinemiscellaneousopinionrifttdgthe daily grindthe-daily-grindWed, 16 Jul 2014 08:00:00 -0400319|20930599https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/02/ddo-changes-direction-a-bit-to-focus-on-player-feedback/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/02/ddo-changes-direction-a-bit-to-focus-on-player-feedback/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/02/ddo-changes-direction-a-bit-to-focus-on-player-feedback/#comments

July's Dungeons & Dragons Online Producer's Letter is the second one from DDO Franchise Director Athena, and in it, she describes the changes coming to the fantasy MMO. While the original road map set in place last December by Rowan has been followed thus far, Turbine is looking to redirect further changes based on player feedback.

Update 23 will bring the Epic Orchard of the Macabre, a new Epic raid, new enemies (including werewolves in Eberron), heavy armor improvements, and more. Update 24 will then bring new quests and a new event to round out the end of the year and the holiday festivities. Be sure to read the entire letter in the forums for more details on what's to come.

Now that I've given you no reason to keep reading, please keep reading. It's an unsettling score that's heavy on discordant tracks and murky atmosphere but lacks a lot of memorable, earworm-worthy tunes. Plenty of it is done with a heavy-handed synthesizer in the mode of scoring a Saturday night B-movie. The Dungeons & Dragons moniker deserves better than this, I've always believed.

But I'm not one to throw out an entire score when there are a few redemptive pieces within. And amid the minefield of moody music, there are a few tracks that rise to being quite listenable indeed. In fact, much of the recent work done for the game's two expansions have clearly done away with slam-dancing on the keys in exchange for an honest attempt at a good score.

Listen for yourself; the studio's made 16 tracks available for free downloads. So let's see what makes it to the top of the DDO pile, shall we?
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composercomposersddodnddungeons and dragons onlinedungeons-and-dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playgame-musicjukeboxjukebox heroesjukebox-heroesjustin-olivettimmo-jukeboxmmo-musicmusicopinionsoundtracksoundtracksturbineturbine-entertainmentTue, 01 Jul 2014 20:00:00 -0400319|20913657https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-22/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-22/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/06/11/dungeons-and-dragons-online-launches-update-22/#comments

Are you ready to buckle your swash? Has your swash been buckled in anticipation? Do you own a variety of buckles and swashes? Because Dungeons & Dragons Online has just released Update 22 onto the live servers, and that means that Bards will have plenty of buckleswashing to do with the addition of the Swashbuckler enhancement line! Dance, parry, crack horrible puns, and stab at people while still retaining all of the usual song-based mechanics of Bards. It's free for everyone!

Update 22 also includes an epic-level upgrade to Three Barrel Cove, perfectly complementing the newly swacklebushing methods of Bards. There are also major improvements to guild levels and guild airships, allowing guilds to hit level 200 while sporting new and improved facilities on new and improved airships. And there's new stuff in the cash shop, too, giving DDO players plenty to do if they ever tire of the interactions of swashes and buckles.

Every one of us has an "MMO resume": a list of titles that we've played, whether briefly or extensively. Some of those are just games, casual flings that meant nothing. But others can take a more meaningful role in our lives, influencing how we experience and view MMOs.

I would scarcely say that my resume is one of the most robust you'll ever see; I'm sure plenty of you have played more than I. However, I like to think that I've had a journey over the course of a decade or so that's shaped who I am as a gamer. Since it's my birthday today, I'm going to share 10 of those influential MMOs with you and what they've done for me. You're going to get me cake.
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activisionanarchy onlineanarchy-onlineaoblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcity of heroescity-of-heroescity-of-villainsclassic-mmocohcovcoxddodungeons and dragons onlinedungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfallen earthfallen-earthfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playfreedomfuncomguild warsguild wars 2guild-warsguild-wars-2humormiscellaneousncsoftopinionp10paragonparagon-studiosperfect tenperfect-10perfect-tenroundupsci-fistar wars: the old republicstar-wars-the-old-republicsuperherosuperheroesswtorthe secret worldthe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenthe-secret-worldtop-10top-10-listtop-tentop-ten-listtswwarwarcraftwarhammer onlinewarhammer-onlineworld of warcraftworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 31 May 2014 16:00:00 -0400319|20883301https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/05/perfect-ten-my-favorite-mmo-april-fools-pranks-of-all-time/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/05/perfect-ten-my-favorite-mmo-april-fools-pranks-of-all-time/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/04/05/perfect-ten-my-favorite-mmo-april-fools-pranks-of-all-time/#comments

There are two types of people on April 1st: those who are annoyed and indifferent to the tomfoolery going on all around them, and those who gleefully embrace the zany antics and baldfaced lies. For the record, I am of the latter crowd. I love April Fools' Day and the humor and creativity that it inspires. While this day is by no means contained to our neck of the woods, MMOs have a long-running streak of trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

I think a good goof has to have several qualities to make it truly memorable. It needs to be original. It needs to be actually amusing, whether or not you "fell for it." And it needs to tweak our expectations and understanding of how MMOs work. Sometimes there are even important ideas that emerge from these jokes that could, indeed, make these titles better.

"We have been asked feedback on things that are at a very early stage of creation (if not only on paper) and there's a real interaction between us and the designers/developers," council member Flavilandile wrote. "Yes, it doesn't means that in the end what we suggest will be implemented, but there's is a real interaction and I feel that they are listening to us when we voice our concern on a topic."

"I'm enjoying it, having fun. Though I'm hard pressed to say we're having the impact we might. The dialog I expected (perhaps unrealistically) is there, but it is more limited than I would have liked," council member IronClan added.

When has putting an MMO into maintenance mode ever signaled a bright future for a game? Even so, that's what seems to have happened for Asheron's Call, which is preparing to not only transition into a maintenance mode phase but drop subscription fees and allow for player-run servers by the end of the year.

The announcement was so unusual in the industry that we had to reach out to Turbine to get more perspective on this move. Asheron's Call Executive Producer Rob Ciccolini took the time to answer a few questions about the change for the game, Turbine's recent layoffs, and how the studio is adjusting going forward.
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acasheron's callasherons-callclassic-mmoddodnddungeons and dragons onlinedungeons-and-dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlinef2pfantasyfeaturedfree-to-playinterviewinterviewslord of the rings onlinelord-of-the-ringslord-of-the-rings-onlinelotrommo industryrob-ciccolinisandboxturbineturbine-entertainmentSun, 09 Mar 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20845501https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/perfect-ten-game-franchises-that-became-mmos/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/perfect-ten-game-franchises-that-became-mmos/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/03/08/perfect-ten-game-franchises-that-became-mmos/#comments

Popular franchises have been known to jump between various entertainment media, from games to television to movies to comic books and even to pogs. We should not gasp in utter amazement that this is also the case with many of our beloved MMOs; we should nod sagely and accept the terrible truth.

There are several video game franchises that have culminated in -- or at least have taken a detour through -- the land of MMOs. For gamers who wanted more and especially did not want to see their journey end, an MMO continuation is a welcome answer that's usually hiding its own problems. But nevermind that; let's march down the halls of history and see the yearbook photos of these franchises when they were young!
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allodsallods onlineallods-onlinearenabethesdabethesda-softworksbethsoftchampionschampions onlinechampions-onlinecodaggerfallddodungeons and dragons onlinedungeons-and-dragonsdungeons-and-dragons-onlinedynasty-warriorsdynasty-warriors-onlineelder-scrollselder-scrolls-onlineeliteelite-dangerouselite: dangerousesofactionsfeaturedffxiffxivfinal fantasy xifinal fantasy xivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-xifinal-fantasy-xivfrontierhumorknights-of-the-old-republickotormiscellaneousmmo industrymorrowindneverwinteroblivionopinionorcs-and-humansp10perfect tenperfect-10perfect-tenphantasy-starphantasy-star-onlinepvprage-of-magesrounduprvrsandboxskyrimstar wars: the old republicstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortamrieltestesothe elder scrolls onlinethe-elder-scrollsthe-elder-scrolls-onlinethe-perfect-10the-perfect-tenthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptop-10top-10-listtop-tentop-ten-listultimaultima onlineultima-onlineuowarwarcraftwarhammer onlinewarhammer-fantasywarhammer-onlinewizardrywizardry onlinewizardry-onlineworld of warcraftworld-of-warcraftwowzenimaxzenimax-mediazenimax-onlinezenimax-online-studiosSat, 08 Mar 2014 12:00:00 -0500319|20826855https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/26/new-dungeons-and-dragons-online-video-interviews-forgotten-realms/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/26/new-dungeons-and-dragons-online-video-interviews-forgotten-realms/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/26/new-dungeons-and-dragons-online-video-interviews-forgotten-realms/#comments

Earlier this month, Turbine announced that it would be partnering with Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons pen-and-paper game, to bring his classic module Haunted Halls of the Eveningstar into the world of Dungeons and Dragons Online. Today, Turbine released a new video wherein Community Specialist Jerry Snook sits down with Greenwood himself to discuss the process of bringing his beloved tabletop adventure into the digital realm of DDO.

During the interview, Greenwood details the obvious challenges of translating an adventure written for the pen-and-paper game, wherein players have nearly limitless ways of interacting with the world, to its MMORPG incarnation, which is decidedly more limited in its possibilities. Greenwood also speaks a bit about the content that was cut from the original pen-and-paper module, originally written as an entire campaign before being whittled down to a single dungeon, and how the digital remake gave him the opportunity to work in some of that lost material. It's certainly worth a watch, if only to hear a Dungeons and Dragons legend's thoughts on his time in the business and the future of D&D in the digital space.

Aaron Campbell has moved back to the LotRO team to be its executive producer and said that Update 13 will be coming soon. In Update 13, there will be a revamp of North Downs, additional quests in Fangorn Forest, support for multiple attachments in mail, and a new epic book that allows you to play as an Ent. "We're pressing forward to Gondor," Campbell promised. "We're digging in deep (but not too deep) to continue the journey through Middle-earth."

As for DDO, Franchise Director Athena Peters said the team is getting ready to push out Update 21 on March 10th but is also looking beyond that to the second update of 2014. Update 22 will expand Three Barrel Cove into epic levels and add new guild airship amenities.

If you look at the list of major MMO studios, it seems as though many of them have something new in the works or recently launched a title. Sequels and sandboxes are the trendy topics of the time, garnering attention and enthusiasm from the community.

And then there's Turbine. As a fan of the "powered by fans" studio and an avid player of Lord of the Rings Online, I have always kept my eye on these Bostonians. While Turbine helped lead the charge on free-to-play adaptations and has kept DDO and LotRO hopping with expansions, its last major MMO launch was 2008. The only known new game that's in the works over there is the Infinite Crisis MOBA.

Or is it? What if there's another project that's being kept on the down-low, one that could be a comeback attempt to propel Turbine back into the community spotlight? What if Turbine is working on Asheron's Call 3? I have scant proof that this is so but plenty of suspicion and speculation as to why it may be the case. Plus, the possibility stirs the imagination.
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acac2ac3asheron's callasherons-callasherons-call-2asherons-call-3classicclassic-mmoclassic-mmosclassicsddodungeons-and-dragons-onlinefantasyfeaturedgame-archaelogistinfinite-crisislord-of-the-rings-onlinelotronostalgiaopinionsandboxthe game archaeologistthe-game-archaeologistturbineturbine-entertainmentSat, 22 Feb 2014 12:00:00 -0500319|20822128